Why does one microphone sound different from another?

[acuriousman]

I got an Audio Technica 4047 mic and an Audio Technica 4053B mic. One is much longer than the other one but they cost about the same.

I set both up to record dialogue between two people for a video I was shooting and the 4053B sounded MUCH better than the 4047.

The 4047 sounded like I was in a soundproof studio and nothing else was around. When playing the video with the 4047 audio, it didn't fit right at all.

But the 4053B sounded so natural and made me feel like I was actually there. It didn't sound closed off and isolated like the 4047.

Why such a big difference?

 

[Zach Ashcraft]

The microphones have different capsules and pickup patterns. One is a cardioid and the other a hypercardioid. They are both directional in nature, meaning the pick up what you point it at and to an extent reject sound from the sides, but the hypercardiod is more so. 

 

Where did you have the microphones placed in relationship to the people? Mic Placement is a huge contributing factor the sound of a recording. 

[jgharding]

Here's a great article from my former employer on the subject:

 

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/jun95/microphones.html